Subterranean Termite Treatment Alternatives

Termite infestation occurs in all states in the U.S except Alaska. In Florida, the most common termites include subterranean, damp wood, and dry wood termites. If your house is wooden, chances are you’ll be looking for subterranean termites’ treatment.

After all, the question is not whether you’ll have a termite infestation, but rather when you’ll be having one. Subterranean termites can fly, and they migrate every year. So, no wooden house is unreachable to them. Every year they destroy thousands of homes in Florida.

These unseen enemies camp outside your house and invade its wooden structures without you realizing it. The floor, ceiling, and wooden fixtures in your home are often the targets. But there’s a way to stop them.

Let’s consider some of the most effective strategies for subterranean termite treatment.

Termite Prevention

Treatment is appropriate when an infestation occurs. But instead of waiting for termite damage to occur, you should take preventive actions. Doing this can save you thousands of dollars in home repairs. So, what does this entail?

Often, termites prefer wet and soft wood. Therefore, keep the area around the foundation of your home dry. Moreover, repair leaking pipes and ensure good drainage for rainwater.

Avoid keeping firewood in contact with the soil. Instead, store the firewood in elevated positions. Plus, avoid planting flowers and trees too close to the walls of your house.

If possible, build your house foundation with concrete. But remember, although termites can’t eat concrete, they can get in through narrow cracks or build mud tubes on the concrete. Assuming you have to use wood, use preservatives to prevent termite attacks.

Even after taking all the precautions, termites can still find a way to get into your house. If that happens, it’s time to try out various subterranean termite treatments.

Chemical Treatments

Using chemicals is a popular method of Subterranean Termite control. It often involves digging a long trench surrounding your house. Next, you fill it with the chemical solution.

Soil treatment acts as a protective wall to the house. If termites cross the soil, the chemical attaches to their body and kills them slowly.

Soil treatment also helps when building a new house. If the surface on which you’re building has a chemical treatment, you can stay a few years without a termite problem.

Termite Sprays

Instead of pouring the chemical into the soil, you can spray it on the wood. Here, you have to identify various surfaces where you see subterranean termite infestation. Plus, you can also spray non-infested areas for protective measures. Spraying is better because the chemical can penetrate inside cracks and crawl spaces.

Spray treatments are either repellent or non-repellent. Repellent sprays are detectable by termites and produce faster results. But non-repellents are undetectable and take longer to kill termites.

Termite Baits

These are among the best forms of subterranean termites’ treatment. Not only do they prevent termite infestations, but they can also kill an entire colony. Bait stations are placed underground in the area surrounding your house. Inside each station is a poisonous bait that can kill termites.

The bait attracts worker termites as they search for food. When they chew on wood, the poison gets into their body, but does not kill them instantaneously. So, they go back to their colonies and contaminate other termites. Then they start dying one after another, including their queen.

Bait stations help keep an eye on termite activity. Once in a while, you can check the stations for signs of termite feeding. Doing so will help you know whether the baits are working and when to replace them.

A typical house would require 20 to 30 bait traps. Generally, an interval of 10 feet from one station to the other would be sufficient. The purpose is to maximize the chances of trapping termites. Even though these may cost more, the good thing about this option is that you can go for more than a year without having to replace them.

When to Call for Pest Control and Subterranean Termites Treatment

Most people wait until they see damaged wood to call for pest control services. Sometimes this might be too late. If you can see wood damage on the surface, there could be more invisible damage. So the best thing is to have termite inspections done at least once a year.

How do you know if your house has termites? Some of the signs are easy to tell. But others may require more investigative work. Obvious signs include long shelter tubes on the walls of your house.

In some instances, the wood may be discolored or feel soft and hollow when you tap on it.

If you see dark brown insects, feathers, or soil droppings, that’s a sign of subterranean termite colonies in your home.

Once you discover these, among other signs, don’t hesitate to Call McDonald Pest Control. Remember, the more you delay, the more damage these pests will cause to your house. At McDonald Pest Control, we dig deep into the root of the problem and devise an effective solution. Call us today to get started with a free consultation!